A three-storey building under construction in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State collapsed on Saturday, injuring seven people. The incident occurred at Aboga along the Igwuruta-Etche Road, with eyewitnesses reporting that the building caved in at about 1:30 pm while workers were on site.
Although no lives were lost, seven of the nine workers on the site were rescued with various degrees of injuries. Two workers managed to jump off the building to safety.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Evans Bipi, attributed the incident to the use of substandard materials by the developer. He stated that preliminary investigations revealed the use of 12mm rods for decking, which is a clear violation of construction standards.
Bipi ordered the site to be sealed pending an investigation into the cause of the building collapse. The property owner has been summoned to report to the Ministry for questioning. The commissioner warned that the government would no longer condone violations of the building code, including building without approved plans and using substandard materials.
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